THE Prime Minister is being urged to ‘use the weight of his office’ to push forward plans to reopen the Montgomery Canal.

Craig Williams MP for Montgomeryshire spoke at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday morning calling for the support of Boris Johnson for the reopening of the canal.

Powys County Council submitted a bid to the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund to secure funding for the project.

Mr Williams has urged the Prime Minister to follow in the footsteps of the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP, and support the project.

“The Levelling Up Fund is a very welcome investment in Montgomeryshire and is a game-changer for our county council and a critical investment at this very critical time,” he said.

“Specifically, we would like to reopen the Montgomery Canal. It’s our Levelling Up bid.

“It sadly was disconnected from the UK network some decades ago and has been kept alive by a terrific team of volunteers.

“Will the Prime Minister use the weight of his office and like the Secretary of State for Wales, jump on the boat, get this investment over the waterline and deliver this Levelling Up bid in mid Wales.”

Mr Hart made a visit to the canal earlier this month.

The project is aiming to reconnect the Montgomery Canal to the national network and provide a tourism boost to the area.

The Prime Minister responded by congratulating Mr Williams on his work on the plan.

He said: “I congratulate my Rt Hon friend for the campaign he’s running on what sounds like an absolutely beautiful plan to reopen the Montgomery Canal.

“He won’t have long to wait for a decision on that scheme, but I can assure him that Wales is receiving thumping quantities of the UK’s Levelling Up fund.

“Already, five per cent of total UK allocations in the first round will be in Wales. I thank him for the lobbying he’s put into that.”